Heddle frame



Patented Feb. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEDDLE FRAME George F. Bahan, Charlotte, N. C.

Application January 21, '1935,'SerialNo. 2,825

4 Claims.

7 This invention seeks to provide a heddle frame which will be strong and durable and in which the parts will be rigidly held together but may be separated when it is necessary,v for any reason, to disassemble the frame or other parts. It .is also an object of the invention to provide a structure in which the heddle bars and the supports therefor will all be within the inner lines .of the frame and will, therefore, not be liable to damage from chance blows. It is also an object of the invention to provide novel means for retaining the heddle bars in place without requiring any weakening of the ends of the heddle frame. Other objects will appear incidentally in the course of the following description and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly pointed out inv the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation of one end of a heddle frame embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of one corner of the heddle frame on an enlarged scale, with parts in section.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are enlarged views, partly in elevation and partly in section of the heddle bar lock, showing different positions of the same.

Figure 6 is a plan View of the lower rail, with parts in section, on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

The heddle frame comprises wooden top and bottom rails l and end bars 2 with means for connecting the end bars and the rails so that the right angular formation will be maintained and a strong frame will beproduced, but the parts may be readily separated when necessary. The rails are formed in their upper and lower edges with recesses to receive metallic plates 3 and 4 which extend somewhat beyond the ends of the rails and are formed at their ends with eyes to receive a cap screw or bolt 5. The ends of the rails are also dished or made concave so as to fit closely to a spacing sleeve 6 which is interposed between the ends of the plates 3 and 4 and has its bore alined with the eyes in said plates. The ends of the sleeve 6 abut squarelyagainst the opposed faces of the plates 3 and 4 so that a right angular fastening is provided and the ends of the end bars 2 likewise abut the inner or opposed surfaces of the plates 3 secured to the lower edge of the top rail and the top edge of the lower rail, as shown. The end bars 2 are tubular and their bores are threaded at their extremities, as indicated at 1, to receive the threaded ends of the cap screws or bolts 5. The cap bolts are inserted through the plates 3 and 4 and the sleeves 6 to engage the threaded ends 1 of the end rods and turned home so that their heads 8 will abut the plates 4, as clearly shown in Figure 2. When these cap bolts or screws are turned fully home, the top and bottom rails will be very (o1, 139491) firmly secured to the end bars so that the rectangular form of the heddle frame will be maintained, but the parts may be obviously readily separated when disassembling is necessary for any reason. The plates 3 and 4 are firmly sei,

cured to the rails by wood screws 9 inserted through the plates into the rails, as will be understood and as. shown in Figure 2, and the recesses formed in the rails are of such dimensions that the plates will fit snugly therein with their 3, 0

surfaces flush with the edges of the rails.

in the top edge of the bottom rail and the :bottom edge of the top rail, a notch I0 is formed in "the base of the recess therein at the end of the rail, as clearly shown in Figure 2, and the plate 3 is provided with a rectangular slot near its end to receive the rectangular shank II of a stud 12 which extends inwardly with respect to the plate,the shank being upset against the plate and the upset extremity being accommodated in the notch in, as will be understood upon reference to Figure 2. The stud I2 is located adjacent the end :bar of the frame but out of contact therewith and near its upper end is formed with a recess l3 which provides a seat for the end of the,

heddle'bar l4. Below the recess H, a shallower recess I5 is provided in the side of the stud for a purpose which will presently appear, and it may be noted that the stud is non-circular in cross section "so that a latching member mounted;

the heddle bar, and, from the upper end of said recess, a notch or slot 18 extends upwardly so that the sleeve may be engaged over the heddle bar when-it is desired to lock the same in place. The locking tube1.-or sleeve I6 is formed with longitudinal slits 19 extending upwardly from the,

upper end =of =the recess I! thereby producing a tongue 20 which is somewhat resilient and which, in the lowered position of the lock, will bear against the side of the heddle bar, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 3, while in the upper position of the lock, it may be bent outwardly from the lock, as indicated in Figure 4, thereby permitting separation of the sleeve from the heddle bar. In the lower wall of the recess ll, short slits 2| are formed thereby defining a resilient lip, 22 which engages and plays in the recess 1.5 in :the stud l2. When the locking sleeve I6 is drawn upwardly to release the heddle bar, the lip 22 abuts the upper shoulder or end wall of the recess l5, as shown in Figure 4, and

struction whereby the rectangular form of the" heddle frame will be maintained throughlthe life of the frame and whereby the heddle bar will be I firmly supported and retained in place without requiring any projections upon or openings in the end bars. of thefram'ei in assembling the parts,

' the locking sleeve l6-is raised-to the position shown in Figure 4' and theend of-the heddle bar may then be moved laterally to enter the recess i I3 of the stud and rest upon the lower shoulder or end wall of said recess, it being obvious'that in this position of the locking sleeve the opening or recess l1 therein will be in position toadmit the heddle bar. After the bar is in place, the sleeveis moved downwardly and the slot or notch l8 will be thereby caused to. engage over the heddle bar, as shown in Figure 3, and lock the heddle bar in place. The resilient tongue 20 will bear against the side'of the heddle bar so that any lost motion between the heddle bar and the lock will be'taken up and overcome. When the lock is moved upward to release the heddle bar, the spring tongue'lll will be'caused to move outwardly byriding against the upper end portion of the stud. Q

It will be readily noted that there are no latches, springs or wires outside the inner boundary lines of my improved heddle frame'and the rails and end members of the frame are very securely clamped together so that the frames will withstand rough usage without becoming distorted. In the operation of a heddle frame in the loom, it becomes necessary, at times, to make repairs or toreplace a railor other defective partswhile the frame is in the loom and my construction facilitates such an operation. Finger pressure uponthe locking tube will release the heddle bar and then, by merely removing the cap screws at each end of the bottom rail, the rail will be released and the remaining portion ofthe heddle frame will be freesoithat it can be removed from its positionini'the loom leaving the heddles'and heddle'barsin'proper'relation to the warp within the loom. Should it be necessary to add heddles to the frame or remove some of the heddles, the releasing of the heddle bar lock will free the heddle 'bars at their ends so that they will be open and it will be an easy matter to pass heddles which are being removedor being inserted. The heddle bar may be removed heddle bar be releasedby opening the look, as de- I if necessary after the lock is released and the operator will have space for his'work without interference from the end pieces or any straps or other projections on the fend'pieces. If the scribed, the removaljof the'lower cap screws will permit the entire heddleframe to beremoved from the loom leaving the heddles andheddle .bars undisturbed in the 'loom'in relation to the I warp. By merely substituting end rods of differ- ,ent lengths for those in use, the structure can be changed to produce a frame of any depth desired.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A heddle frame comprising upper and lower rails having recesses in their upper and lower edges and havingconcave end edges, plates,se cured in the recesses in the; rails and projecting beyond the end of the, same and provided with eyes at theirv ends, spacing sleeves fitted between the projecting ends of said plates and against the ends of the rails, end'rods disposed between the plates'secured to the upper and lower rails;

and alined axially with the sleeves, and cap screws inserted through the ends of the plates and the sleeves into the end rods and having threaded engagement with theends of said rods,

the heads of the screws abutting the outer plates whereby the rails and the end rods will be firmly clamped together.

2. Aheddle frame comprising'top and bottom rails, end bars disposed between the ends of the,

rails; inner plates countersunk in seats formed in the-lower=edge ofv the top rail and the upper plate bearing against ends of the upper and lower bars, bolts extending. through said sleeves and the extended end portions of said plates and hav-,

ing their inner end portions threaded and screwed into ends of the end bars for clamping.

the end bars against the extended end portions 7 of the inner plates, heddle bars disposed between I the end bars and parallel with the rails, studs anchored in said plates and extending past the ends of the heddle bars to receive and support the same, and locking sleeves mounted on said studs and engaged with" theheddle bars to retain them seated inthe studs;

3. In a heddle frame, top and bottom rails, heddle bars disposed parallel with the rails, studs anchored upon the rails and provided adjacent their free ends with recesses to receive the ends'of adjacent heddle bars and support the same and provided between said recesses and the adjacent rails with shallow recesses, and locking sleeves movably mounted'on the studs and providedwith recesses to admit the heddle bars and with slots extending from said recesses to engage over the heddle bars and retain thesame, said sleeves being provided with resilient lips to engage and play. in the second-mentioned recesses in the studs and abut the ends of said recesses whereby to normally prevent release of the sleeve from the stud when the sleeve is moved to open position to release-the heddle bar.

4. In aheddleframe, top and bottom rails, heddle bars arranged parallel with the rails, studs anchored upon the railsand extending past the ends of the heddle bars and provided with recesses adapted to receive and support the heddle bars, and locking sleeves movably mounted upon Qthe studs and provided with recesses to admit the heddle bars and ,with slots extending from said recesses to engage over and retain the heddle bars, there being-a resilient tongue on the sleeve to bear against the side of the heddle bar when thesleeve is inJocking position. f V Y GEORGE F. BAHAN, 

